A Note From Father Eickhoff

February 5, 2023

Now that we are in the month of February we begin to look forward to the Season of Lent.  It is amazing how fast the period of time between the end of the Christmas Season and the beginning of Lent races by.  Since this time seems so short, it is a good idea to mark your calendars now for the Mass that you wish to attend on Ash Wednesday (that is February 22).  St. Anne will hold Masses at:

7am, 12pm, 5.30pm, and 7.30pm (all in the church)

One of my fellow priests frequently points out to me how strange it is that so many people desire to place ashes on their head on Ash Wednesday, but do not want to receive Holy Communion.  Ashes are a symbol of our sinfulness and our unworthiness before God.  Ashes mark us as bearing the disfiguring effects of sin which sickens us and drives us away from God.  We do not celebrate the ashes we wear on Ash Wednesday.  Rather, we should mourn the necessity of displaying them.  The Blessed Eucharist on the other hand is God Himself giving of Himself as medicine for our healing.  Holy Communion is the antidote for our sins.  Marking ourselves with ashes without receiving Holy Communion is like entering a doctor’s office and never asking for treatment.

The Season of Lent is also a great time to develop spiritual practices that can help us grow in the faith.  One of these spiritual practices is praying before the Blessed Eucharist.  St. Anne Parish holds Eucharistic adoration on Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the chapel and on Friday morning at 8.30am in the church.  Everyone is welcome to join those who are already coming to adoration and take some time to pray during Lent.  There will also be a special three-hour Eucharistic adoration on Saturday, March 25 between 2pm and 5pm in the church.

The Season of Lent is also a great time to go to the Sacrament of Confession.  Confessions are heard on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 8pm and Saturday afternoons from 3.30pm to 4.30pm.  During the Season of Lent there will also be two extra opportunities to go to confession when there will be extra priests available.  The first will be a special parish reconciliation service on Sunday, March 5 beginning at 4pm.  The second will be during the special Eucharistic adoration service on Saturday, March 25 from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff
Pastor